Disposal and/or recycling of charged or partially charged batteries may present a serious risk of fire or damage to processing equipment because of the reactive state of the electrolytic chemicals used to store energy within the battery. Some approaches to reduce the risk of fire hazards rely on containing potential explosions. However, such approaches may lead to loss of valuable recyclable materials, exposure of users to hazardous substances, and other consequences that may raise the cost of recycling and inhibit the recovery and reuse of batteries.